There are more than 150 higher education institutions in the UK, which makes choosing the most suitable course a complicated task. You should start your research in advance, taking into account several factors.
The following are probably the most important:
Most trusted rankings in the UK and worldwode include: The Times, Guardian, QS World University Rankings and Complete University Guide. For example, here's a link to Guardian, that measures such parameters as overall student satisfaction, student/ tutors ratio, university spend per student, etc: The Guardian UK Universities ranked.
University campus can be located in the middle of a city, or independently, you need to decide what’s best for you. For example, my University – Manchester School of Art (MSA), is located in the very centre of the city, at a walking distance from the central library, main galleries and museums, with lots of cafes and shops around – which suits me very well.
Fees for international students are usually higher than for local students. Often, the higher the rating of the University, the higher the fees will be. The difference at MSA is not that significant: course fees. However, there are some (not many) bursaries availabe, some universities would also have a loyalty programme.
My University also supports the students by giving some money towards the materials on high-maintenance courses (for example Fine Art).
Costs of living can differ significantly throughout the UK with transport and accommodation most expensive in London. Halls of residence in most Universities are up to a high standard and very conveniently located. But of course the prices will be different in different cities. This is why I like Manchester so much – with 2 major Universities close together, it has plenty of Halls and also a vast choice of private sector student accommodation.
These are some examples from Manchester: Accommodation.
And here you can have a look at some average food prices in the UK: Food Prices in the UK.
This is perhaps the least important factor, but it shows the University’s international status. Well at least it has to have and International Office that will have with the documents.
Read the article in Russian: Выбор университета в Великобритании часть 1: основные факторы
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